Compression behavior of 316L lattice structures produced by indirect additive manufacturing

As a new type of lightweight structure, metallic lattice structure has higher stiffness and strength to weight ratio. To freely obtain 316L lattice structures with designed cell structure and adjustable porosity, additive manufacturing combined with investment casting was conducted to fabricate the 316L lattice structures with Kelvin cell. The compression simulation of 316L lattice structures with different porosities was carried out by using the finite element method. The numerical simulation results were verified by compression experiment, and the simulated results were consistent with the compression tests. The compressive mechanical properties of 316L lattice structures are directly related to porosity and independent of strut diameters. The 316L lattice structures with Kelvin cell have a smooth stress-strain curve and obvious plastic platform, and the hump stress-strain curves are avoided.